


When faced with choices, what one should be made?

by JKC1989



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-23 03:15:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2532050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKC1989/pseuds/JKC1989
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the Kink Me Prompt - Arthur/Merlin, established relationship on the verge of marriage really.</p>
<p>During his stag part Arthur is tested: one of his ex pops to the party and it doesn't take much to realize this person's single, gorgeous and above all a tease.<br/>Will Arthur's love for Merlin be stronger than carnal impulses?</p>
            </blockquote>





	When faced with choices, what one should be made?

_‘I’ve always been a flirt but never unfaithful. 4 nights ago, this nearly changed’_

This pair, who had been friends for so long and smoothly worked their way from friends to lovers, were celebrating their commitment to one another in front of all their friends and family but all this could have been destroyed by that one night, when one made a choice and it could have been the wrong choice.

Right at this moment, standing beside his partner of 4 years, merlin, at the altar, listening to his vows, Arthur thought back to the moment, 4 days before when he nearly lost the best thing to happen to him.

  
“You see, merlin and I have been together for 4 years and we have had our ups and downs like all couples but I know that after all we’ve been through, my father’s death, a few short separations and little petty arguments, there isn’t anything that can keep us apart. I know not much would change, merlin and I have lived together for 2 years and I love going to sleep with him in my arms and waking up, knowing he’s there.  
After an hour and a few pints, I become very easy-going and usually everyone laughs at me because when tipsy or drunk, I tend to get very flirty. This does upset merlin, he has always been insecure as he feels like he’s not in my league but you see, that’s one of the reasons I love him because he looks past my looks and my money and just sees me. Before him, I dated many people who only looked at my wallet or how I looked on their arm but with merlin, I don’t have to play a character.

  
_I guess I should now explain how I was very stupid and nearly lost my everything for someone who meant so little”._

**4 days ago- flashback - 14th July 2014 9pm**

  
4 days away from that very special occasion came the day my best mate Leon would class as ‘last night of freedom’ better known as Stag Night and after all the planning and stress, I would definitely say I was looking forward to getting sloshed with my mates. The only bad thing was my sister, Morgana, had said that merlin and I would be better off having separate stag dos and as we both agreed, here I am getting dressed and I must say, I look smoking hot, ready to party it up with my mates Leon, Elyan, Percival and Gwaine.  
As I leave the flat, I say goodbye to Merlin and his party Gwen, Will, Morgana, Freya and Lance, who have decided to spend the night in.  
Me and my mates get in the taxi and head of the local club, Albion which is a hotspot for young men like myself who want a good night. As we pull up and walk through the door, the club is crowded and there is a lot of people, drinking and grinding on the dance floor. Gwaine, Elyan and Percival head to find a booth whilst Leon and I get the drinks in. we get to the booth and began talking about the wedding and how my life will change.  
A little while later, after a few pints, me and mates decided to join the throng of people on the dance floor. I noticed my mate Gwaine approach a girl and I don’t want to think of what he was planning so I turned back to my other mates and just danced among the group.  
After another 30 minutes, our group began to disperse, Percival and Elyan left, leaving me and Leon. Leon then headed to the bathroom and I was left on the dance floor. I then felt someone wrap their arms around my waist and grind themselves against me. As I was feeling tipsy after a few beers, I decided to grind back against them and I will admit, I was getting turned on. The hands around my waist then began crawling lower and began rubbing my balls. I realised I was hard and rubbed myself back onto the other person. I then felt them begin kissing and sucking on my neck. At this point I knew I should stop as Merlin’s face appeared in my mind and I pulled away from the other person and as I turned around I saw it was Cenred Sykes, my ex-boyfriend.  
I looked at him and I could see the lust in his eyes. I looked him up and down and he was just as gorgeous as I remembered, dark hair, broad shoulders and that smooth voice of his when he said my name “Arthur, so good to see you”, whilst looking at my hard on, straining against my trousers. I was suddenly pulled back to the time when we were together, 5 years ago, in university.

  
_At that stage in your life, 20 years old and living life in university, you think the world is your oyster and you could do anything so when you’re in love with your best friend but he’s dating someone else, you look for the next best thing and that was Cenred. I was very attracted to Cenred and when he pulled me into the toilets at a university party, got down on his knees and sucked me off; it helped me forget about my feelings for merlin. Our relationship was very short, 4 months, but it was wild and we were always jumping on each other, looking for closets or anywhere for us to have sex. We ended because he hated that I refused to bottom and also because he tried to stop me spending time with merlin, who was my best friend. Cenred would accuse me of putting merlin above him and I guess it was true because I had fallen in love with merlin but stayed with Cenred because merlin had his special someone. After we ended, it didn’t take long for merlin’s relationship to fizzle out and we ended up together._

  
Seeing him standing in front of me in the club, asking me for a private moment in the toilet and with the alcohol running through my veins, I knew how easy it would be to just follow him and let him have his way and I regret the thought that for a few moments I was sorely tempted, even more so when he leaned forward and placed his hands on my hips, rubbing his hard on against mine and placing his lips on mine. He thrust his tongue into my mouth and for those few seconds I let myself believe I was single for one night but as my eyes were closed, Merlin’s face reappeared again and I pushed him away and walked off to find Leon.  
Cenred followed me, shouting that he could feel how turned on I was and that I could just give in for one night and remember how good it was between us and yes, I was so horny and wanted someone to get me off but I knew in my mind if I allowed Cenred to be that someone, I would lose the best thing I had in my life so I turned to Cenred and told him that he may have been the best fuck I had in university, he wasn’t a match on my Merlin and I left him standing there as I entered the bathroom.  
Leon looked up as I entered and I told him about what happened and how I screwed up. Leon wasn’t sympathetic, who would be when you tell your mate you were tempted to cheat on your fiancé 4 days before the wedding but he told me that I had to tell merlin. I immediately felt sick because I knew how insecure merlin was, especially about Cenred and now I would have to tell him that I nearly contemplated cheating with Cenred. I decided to leave the club, got into a taxi and headed home.  
On the way, all I could think about was how to tell merlin that I had nearly cheated on him with the one person merlin always believed was a better match for me. I had made a mistake and now it could the reason my relationship broke down.

  
You may ask why but what I didn’t explain was that after university when merlin and I were together, Cenred had shown up when all our friends went out and he followed merlin into the toilets and told merlin that he would never be good enough for me and that I would get bored and dump him. After this, I have always tried to get merlin to believe that I wanted him and that no one would ever match up to him and that as long as I had him, it was enough.

  
As I walked up to the flat and opened the door, I could hear merlin with his mates and I couldn’t believe what I was about to do but I knew he deserved to know so I braced myself and walked in. as I entered the lounge and saw his smiling face looking up at me, I felt a few tears streak down my face. He stood up and walked over to me and pulled me into a hug. I couldn’t breathe and all I could was repeat over and over how sorry I was. He pulled away and looked into my eyes and asked what had happened. I couldn’t help but see everyone else’s faces looking at me, studying and worrying looks upon their faces. I looked at merlin and just said Cenred’s name. I felt merlin go tense and he looked at me and said please tell me you didn’t do what I think you’re going to say. I just looked at him, absorbing his face into my mind and said no but I was tempted too and I'm so sorry. I couldn’t believe what merlin did, he hugged me, albeit tensely and told me to go have a bath and try to sleep, I was expecting something else but I’ve always known merlin wouldn’t cause a scene. He then walked away and into the kitchen. I felt cold, lost and didn’t know if we would be alright but with hope filling me, I waked out of the room, not looking at anyone, had a quick shower and crawled into bed where blackness claimed me.

**Present Day**

  
The morning after was incredibly tense and over the next few days I spent a lot of my time trying to explain to merlin what happened and that I didn’t want things to end and that I wanted us to get married because I didn’t want anyone else. Which brings us to this happy day as I stand by Merlin’s side and I realised that in life we all make choices. That night led to 2 choices and the one I picked led to this and for that I know that as long as I have his face in my mind, his arms around me and his heart in my hand, I will always know that the choice I made, was the right one.

The Vicar looked at us and smiled “I now pronounce you husbands”.  
Always make the right choice.


End file.
